WHY FIRE TRUCKS ARE RED Here's a history lesson for you. Some believe fire trucks were first painted red because of early cars. In the 1900s, Henry Ford suggested the color black for his Model T Ford's due to the cheap cost and durability of the paint. With so many black vehicles, it is said that fire brigades wanted the rigs to stand out. Another theory suggests that fire departments wanted their trucks to feature the most expensive color — which was red at the time. However, scientifically, ce